Home Service was originally formed in 1981 from the creative nucleus of The Albion Band line-up that produced the classic album, ‘Rise Up Like the Sun’.

They return to The Gulbenkian with new lead singer Bob Fox, who joined Home Service in 2023 after John Tams decided to step down.

Long regarded as one of the great voices of British folk song, Bob worked alongside John and Graeme Taylor, taking the role of ‘Songman’ in the National Theatre’s West End production of War Horse. Now he is embracing a brand new role alongside Graeme Taylor’s fiery lead guitar and Home Service’s stirring brass and rock-solid rhythm sections.

During its relatively short life in the mid-eighties, Home Service produced three albums and headlined at major festivals including Cambridge, Cropredy and Dranouter but found arguably their biggest audience when they provided music for Bill Bryden’s ground-breaking production of The Mysteries trilogy at the National Theatre.

Home Service made a dramatic return to prominence in 2011 with the best-selling Live 86 album – recorded at Cambridge Folk Festival – and a string of major festival appearances, followed swiftly by further success in 2012 when they won Best Live Act at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.

With Bob Fox on board, Home Service is raring to tread the boards once more.

“The brass play like the Devil’s own pit-band, the rhythm section lay down an immovable foundation and Graeme Taylor’s guitar can strip paint” – R2 Magazine